Avery’s POV I knew this moment would come.I had played out every scenario in my head, practiced every possible way to say it. But nothing.... nothing, could prepare me for the sheer force of Kane’s presence as he stands before me now, his rage a living thing crackling in the air.His glowing red eyes are darker than I’ve ever seen them, his entire body stiff with barely contained fury. Every muscle in him is coiled tight, like a predator ready to strike, and I force myself not to flinch under the weight of his stare.Stand your ground, AveryBut Goddess, it’s hard.“Tell me the truth, Avery.” His voice is sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. “Is this child mine?”My pulse roars in my ears, my heartbeat hammering so hard it makes my chest ache. I already made my choice. There’s no turning back now.“No.”It’s one word, steady and controlled, but the moment it leaves my lips, I feel it crack something inside me.Kane doesn’t move, doesn’t even blink. His fists clench at hi
Kane's POVI storm through the darkened woods, my pulse thundering in my ears, my wolf snarling inside me. The trees blur past me, their gnarled branches reaching out like claws, but I don’t slow down. I can’t.The fury inside me is too volatile, too consuming.Her words haunt me, looping like a cruel chant in my mind.“It’s not yours.”“I was with someone else.”I clench my jaw so hard it aches. My claws snap out, slicing into my palms as I curl my hands into fists.But I do not feel the painMy whole being is consumed by her.Every word she said.Every lie she had utteredYes, she lied.I don’t know how I know it, but I do. Deep in my bones, deep in the remnants of the bond I still feel despite her rejection, I know she’s lying.But why?Why would she deny me my own child?Why would she take away my chance of being a father?Why would she separate me from my pup?Avery was never a good liar. She always met my eyes when she spoke the truth, but this time… this time, she couldn't. She
Kane’s POVI sit at the head of the long, polished table, my fingers curled into tight fists against the armrests of my chair. The elders' voices buzz around me, relentless, grating, a chorus of expectations I don’t care to entertain."Heir.""Legacy.""Strength of the pack."It’s always the same conversation, the same pressure. They talk as if I owe them a piece of myself, as if my bloodline is more important than the rage still burning in my chest."You can’t put this off forever, Alpha Kane," one of the older men speaks, his voice laced with impatience. "The Red Claw Pack needs stability. A future."I do not answer them. I barely even listenedI drag a hand down my face, exausted, but the fire inside me refuses to settle.Avery’s words still claw at me."The baby isn’t yours, Kane.""I was with someone else after you rejected me."The lies were obvious, but the fact that she was willing to utter them, that she would rather push me away than let me into her life, cut deeper than any
Kane’s POV I sit in my dimly lit office, my fingers gripping a glass of whiskey that remains untouched. The ice has long since melted, the amber liquid swirling as I roll my wrist, watching the way the firelight catches its depths. But it does nothing to dull the storm raging inside me. The weight of my decision presses on my chest like a vice, tightening with every second. I had agreed. Agreed to take my Luna to bed. Agreed to give the pack the heir they demanded. It was logical. Expected. Yet, I feel like I’m suffocating. A muscle ticks in my jaw as I stare out the window into the darkened forest beyond the packhouse. The wind howls through the trees, rattling against the glass panes as though mocking me. The beast inside me stirs, pacing restlessly, snarling ay the very thought of what I am expected to do. "She’s not our mate." The words are a snarl in my mind, my wolf’s fury crackling like lightning through my veins. He refuses to accept Sophia, my Luna, refuses
Avery’s POV I wrap my arms around myself, staring out of the small window in my new apartment. The city lights outside blur in my vision, exhaustion pressing heavy on my shoulders.The entire day had been spent searching for a better paying job, scouring every corner of the city, yet I came up empty handed. Bills were piling up. Rent was due soon. And in just a few short months, I’d have another mouth to feed.My hand drifts to my belly.I did the right thing.Kane could never know.A sharp pang clenches my chest, but I push it down. I had made my choice.Even if it cost me everything.I take a slow breath and pull the curtain shut. The apartment is small, barely big enough for one person, let alone a mother and child, but it’s mine. It’s safe.Or at least, it should be.That feeling still lingers. The one that’s haunted me for months now.That I’m being watched.I shake my head, running a hand through my hair. It’s just paranoia. No one knows where I am. No one is coming.I glance d
Kane’s POVThe clash of metal fills the air, the grunts of my warriors echoing around the training grounds. I stand at the edge, arms crossed, watching them spar. My body moves through the drills automatically, but my mind is far away.Far away on her.Avery.No matter how hard I try, I can’t silence my Beta’s voice in my head.“Are you sure Avery was telling the truth?”I scowl. I shouldn’t be thinking about this. She made her choice, she lied to my face. Said the child wasn’t mine. Told me she had been with someone else after I rejected her.Then why won’t my wolf accept it?A warrior lunges at me, forcing me back to the present. Instinct takes over. I sidestep easily, gripping his wrist and twisting until he grunts in pain. With a sharp pull, I slam him into the ground, hard.The ground shakesA hush falls over the training ground. The warriors stop mid-fight, looking at me warily. I can feel their unease. They’ve seen me brutal in training before, but today ia different.Today, I
Avery’s POVFour Years LaterI tuck the blanket around my son, smoothing it over his small frame. His little chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm, his soft, dark lashees resting against his cheeks.My beautiful boy.My whole world.I press a gentle kiss to his forehead, inhaling his familiar scent of milk and baby soap. He sighs in his sleep, shifting slightly, but his tiny fingers remain curled into fists. so much like his father’s when he was angry.A lump forms in my throat, and I shake my head, pushing the thought away.I shouldn't think about him.I shouldn't think about how my wolf still yearns for him even after four yearsI shouldn't think about how I remember him each time I look at my son, they share such striking resemblance.I shake my head once again.Don’t think about him.The past is the past.I step away from
Kane’s POV The moon hangs low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the packhouse. I should be sleeping, but rest has eluded me for weeks. My thoughts are a tangled mess, circling around ruling the packs and handing my Luna who never fails to remind me of how I still let Avery to control my heart even though she is gone But no matter how much I try to push Avery from my mind, she lingers like a ghost, haunting my every waking moment. Her defiant gaze. The way my wolf still aches for her despite everything. I exhale sharply, dragging a hand through my hair as I step toward my office window. The forest stretches before me, silent and still, but something about the night feels off. The unease that has been clawing at my chest lately refuses to fade. A sharp knock echoes against my door. I turn just as my Beta, Liam, strides in, his expression grim. The tension in his shoulders is unmistakable. My muscles coil. I know that look. “There was an attack on the border,” Liam repor
Avery's POV The whispers caame like the wind, soft, but impossible to ignore. Everywhere I walked, they trailed behind me like shadows, brushing against my ears. “Did you hear?” “The Alpha has cast Selene out.” "She begged.” "He showed no mercy.” “She was with another.” The rumors spread faster than wildfire. And I kept my head high. I didn’t flinch. I didn’t speak. I didn’t feed the flames. I had no need to. Dignity had become my armor. Silence, my sharpest weapon. I had spent too many years defending myself, biting back pain with grace. This time, I let the world talk while I simply walked through it. Selene, the name that once held weight in this pack, once dripped with entitlement and venom, was gone. Disgraced. Stripped of every illusion of power she once paraded in front of me. The same women who used to
Kane's POV The air in the packhouse was thick, tense with something I couldn’t quite name until I heard her voice echoing down the hall. Selene Her sharp, clipped tone lanced through the silence like a blade. “You clumsy little thing!” she snapped, voice shrill and soaked in entitlement. “Do you even know what this is worth? Or is your brain too small to understand luxury?” I turned the corner just in time to see the young servant girl flinch, eyes wide and terrified, tea dripping down her wrists and onto the marble floor. Selene loomed over her like a wolf over a rabbit, proud and cruel, forgetting her place entirely. I stepped in before I realized I was moving. “You will treat her with respect,” I said, voice low and cold. I didn’t shout. I didn’t need to. Selena turned, mouth already open to defend herself, probably with some pathetic reminder of who she once wa
Avery's POVI woke wrapped in Kane’s arms, his heartbeat a steady rhythm against my back. It was a feeling I hadn't known in years, warmth without fear, closeness without control. For a long time, I just lay there, eyes closed, letting the silence between us speak. Not the silence of estrangement, but something softer. Restful. Healing.He murmured something in his sleep, his fingers twitching slightly as if reaching for me even in his dreams. A smalll smile tugged at my lips, but I knew I couldn’t stay here all morning. I needed a moment. To breathe. To think. To remember who I was outside of him, tooI carefully slipped from his grasp, easing off the bed so as not to wake him. He shifted slightly but didn’t stir.My feet carried me to the my room. The moment I stepped inside, the air felt different, still scented faintly with lavender from an old satchel tucked into a drawer, and the cool morning light poured through the window like a familiar f
Kane's POVThe night was quiet, the kind of quiet that settled deep into your bones. The sky stretched above with stars scattered like forgotten wishes. I sat on the porch steps, elbows resting on my knees, fingers tangled together as I stared at the horizon. The cool wind carried the scent of lavender and pine, and for the first time in a long time, I let myself feel still.The door behind me creaked, soft and hesitant.I didn’t turned around.But I knew it was herAvery.Her presence was like a ripple,gentle, but impossible to ignore. She stepped closer, the wooden porch boards groaning beneath her weight until she lowered herself beside me. Her shoulder brushed mine. Light, barely there. But enough.Enough to remind me I wasn’t alone.We sat in silence, our breaths syncing with the rhythm of the night. I didn’t want to scare her off with words. She hadn’t been this close in weeks, this close. And I would’ve s
Avery's POVI couldn’t look away from themFrom the moment Kane learned he was a father, something in him shifted. It wasn’t dramatic, there was no grand declaration or overwhelming display of emotion after that first, raw encounter. No, the change was quieter. Deeper. Like the slow turn of the earth beneath your feet, steady, inevitable.The Alpha I had known, ruthless, calculated, commanding, was gone. In his place stood a man with paint-streaked jeans, tangled hair, and a voice several notes higher than necessary while reading stories about dragons, moon bears, and magical wolves who saved the day.He’d never held a toddler before that day in the nursery, but now he carried our son with a confidence that didn’t come from experience, itt came from love.Kane took to fatherhood with a kind of wide eyed eagerness that almost made me laugh. Almost. Because sometimes it hurt to watch, like something in my chest didn’t quite know what to do with
Kane's POV I wasn’t expecting her to reach for me that day Not tonight. Not after the way she’s kept her distance, like she’s been building invisible walls around herself just to survive being under the same roof as me. But then, in the silence of the corridor, she turned to me. Her hand found mine, not firm, not certain, but deliberate. I froze, afraid even a a breath would make her retreat She didn’t say a word. Just led me forward, past portraits on the walls. Her fingers trembled slightly, her pace cautious. I followed her, heart thudding like a war drum in my chest, unsure of what this meant, until she stopped in front of a door. Sky blue. Small. Innocent. The kind of door that had no place in the life I used to live. "I hand painted the door myself after we arrived" She said, then she hesitated for half a heartbeat, then pushed it open. My breath l
Avery's POVTime moves strangely in Kane’s packhouse. The days blend together, soft and slow, like fog creeping over familiar ground. Each morning, I wake in a room that used to feel like a prison. Now, it just feels.... quiet.Not safe. Not yet.But its not dangerous either.In the days that followed, I noticed something had changed. Not in Kane, he’s already change, hopefully, but in the air around us. The silence that once screamed now hums with something else. Something hesitant. Unspoken.I start to notice the little things.He sets out a second plate at every meal, never asking if I’ll join but always hoping I will. He adjusts the thermostat back to the exact warmth I always liked, the one that made me feel held without being touched. He doesn’t knock on my door. Doesn’t ask for talks. Doesn’t ask for anything, really. He just…. shows up.When I do come down to eat, he doesn’t stare or smile or try to fill the silence.
Kane's POVI find her in the garden again early in the morningHer figure framed by the soft sway of lavender that brushes against her dress. She always loved this place, said the scent reminded her of peace. Now, I wonder if it only reminds her of what I destroyed.Avery kneels beside the blossoms, her fingers brushing the petals like they’re more fragile than she feels. She hasn’t spoken to me more than a few words since she returned. She walks with purpose, keeps her distance, and when she looks at me, it’s like I’m a stranger standing in the ruins of the life she once tried to build.But I can’t keep letting her run. I won’t.“Don’t run from me anymore, Avery.” My voice is low, steady. No Alpha command. No anger. Just truth.She stiffens but doesn’t look up. Her silence wraps around her like armor, tight, defensive, and heavy. I step closer, not enough to crowd her, but enough to make her feel me there. I won’t let her face t
Avery’s POVThe ceremony was silent, somber even. No grand cheers. No joy. Just the quiet rustle of the wind and the heavy breath of a pack unsure how to process what they’d witnessedKane stood beside me, barely able to stay upright. His arm was bandaged, his face bruised and bloodied. Yet there was a gleam in his eye, a victorious gleam. One that reminded me of the old Kane. The ruthless one. The conqueror who always took what he wanted no matter what.He reached for me, his fingers brushing my arm. “You’re mine again,” he whispered, not as a question, but as a declaration.And I nodded.What else could I do?The fight had been issued. The outcome determined. The pack had no more words to say.I was his again, claimed by blood, by dominance, by the archaic laws we still obeyed.But as his hand wrapped around mine, something inside me twisted. It should’ve been relief. It should’ve been … something. A reunion.